Dr. Touch Tanks Visits St. James School

Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach Courier
Stephanie Grinnell, Staff Writer
Stephanie Grinnell, Photo
March 8, 2007

HOLD ON TIGHT! — Sixth grade student Zachary A. from Jamie Pappalardo’s class at St. James School displays one of the live lobsters that lives in the Touch Tank in the cafeteria. Many other creatures were handed around during a visit by Dr. Touch Tanks, who taught them about the creatures in the tanks and life in the ocean. (Stephanie Grinnell photo)

A new personality has been introduced to help get kids interested in ocean life and marine sciences. Dr. Touch Tanks, portrayed by Bob Sterling, has begun visiting schools to share his knowledge of the ocean with students, who he allows to handle his ocean creatures to assist in the learning process.

The concept of Dr. Touch Tanks was the brainchild of Joe Zucchero, founder of Marine Ecological Habitat located in Biddeford and the creators of Touch Tanks for Kids. A number of schools across the country have Touch Tanks in their schools, allowing the students to observe the habitat and become familiar with the marine life. Nine schools in Maine as well as several museums in the state have touch tanks as well. When Dr. Touch Tanks comes to visit, the kids have the opportunity to handle the creatures.

At St. James School in Biddeford on Tues. Feb. 28, Jamie Pappalardo’s sixth grade class was introduced to Dr. Touch Tanks during his second visit to a school. The noisy group of boys and girls could not contain their enthusiasm about handling the creatures, though some were not fans of the slimy kelp that was handed around. The class was all smiles as they got to handle seas urchins, starfish and small lobsters that live in the St. James cafeteria, where a touch tank has been located for nearly three years. The climax of the presentation was when Dr. Touch Tanks brought out a larger lobster he brought to St. James for the day named Pinchy. He showed the kids Pinchy’s claws and explained why there was one band on the pinching claw and several bands on the crushing claw, bringing a chorus of oohs and ahs from the kids.

“We are just beginning our ocean unit, the tank has been in the cafeteria all year but the kids are just learning about it and the ocean creatures in it,” said Pappalardo.

Sterling is a 2005 Graduate of Unity College, has a Bachelors Degree in Aquaculture and Fisheries and said he thinks his presentation could be extremely helpful to kids who are tactile learners, the process of learning by doing and touching rather than reading or memorization.

“I think it’s a good program because they can actually get their hands on things. It’s right there in their hands and in their face,” said Sterling.

Sterling said he did not have any teaching experience but he’s always gotten along well with children.

“I like kids so I decided to go for it. Dr. Touch Tanks was a concept that Joe Zucchero came up with and asked me to do it,” said Sterling, adding that he was working at Marine Ecological Habitats at the time, “It’s good for me too, it’s a learning experience.”

Sterling is a Maine native and said he spent his summers exploring Pine Point Beach in Scarborough.

“I was fortunate because my parents took me to the beach. Some kids don’t get that opportunity. Some kids dread going to school, it is great that they can have something like this to get excited about,” said Sterling, “We are trying to teach them conservation, respect for the ocean, and more understanding that there are creatures out there and the earth is 70 percent water. That fact still amazes me.”

Director of Touch Tanks for Kids Mike Martin, who also attended the presentation at St. James, said the goal of the program is to get kids interested in the creatures that live in the ocean. He said several reputable scientific publications predict that the fishing industry will collapse by the year 2048 due to many factors including the pollution of the oceans. Martin said the more kids that get involved and interested in preserving the status of the ocean, the better.

“Our vision is that our tanks will provide momentum in the community and raise awareness,” said Martin.

The locations that want a touch tank must raise approximately $7,000 for the tank and its filter equipment. They may request special creatures to go in their tank as long as they are not illegal or dangerous, said Martin. Common creatures found in touch tanks are sea urchins, sea cucumbers, small lobsters, starfish, mussels, flounder, hermit crabs, green crabs, Jonah crabs, periwinkles, sand dollars, barnacles as well as kelp and several other native plants.

Touch Tanks for Kids is an all volunteer program with Maine non-profit status. Martin said they have applied for federal non-profit status. 

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